Ghosts of Gauntcliff, Chapter 3

[ewancummins]

"Right, well you'd better go get something to eat. The men are up on the second floor terrace, having breakfast now."

She looks out the window.

"I'll be up there a bit later. Jeurgin will be back soon with my son. I'll make your bed for you, put away things. There might be some stuff here you don't want the servants to see, yes?"

She motions to the sweat-stained sheets tangled on the bed, and the empty boxes where Everline had kept her armor and other gear.

"Listen, Everline, if you want to talk about your dream, I'll be around."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"You are very kind, Charlotte," Everline says, inclining her head to the lady. When it comes back up, her blue eyes have a very sober look in them. "I pray you shall never have to have the experience of such a dream as I suffered. I hope to see you again soon."

Everline adjourns to the terrace where breakfast has been served.

"I trust tea and dry toast are available?" she says as she makes her entrance. "I am feeling a mite peckish."

[steveflam]

Benn and Charlotte's room-

Juergin nods and exits, closing the door behind him. He walks cheerfully to Benn & Charlotte's room, knocking on the door. "Hello, it is me Juergin. I come with Madam Charlotte's permission to bring young Jonas to his mother. Miay I come in?"

A mousy brunette in a black maid's dress and white apron answers the door. The young woman smiles at Juergin.
"Oh, Mistress Charlotte sent you? Come in. I'm just cleaning up a bit."

The room is larger and perhaps fancier than Juergin's own chamber (not that Juergin's room isn't the nicest billet he has had in years).

On the floor, Ben's young son is playing with a wooden mouse about the size of Juergin's foot. The carved statuette looks as if it was whittled with a knife.

Juergin would probably guess that Jonas is two years old.

The maid asks Jeurgin, "Are you enjoying your time on Gauntcliff, young master?"

"Yes, yes I am miss. I am Juergin by de way. nice to make your acquaintance." He bows politely. "I visited the Abbey yesterday and part of the grounds. Might I ask your name?"

As Jergin talks he smiles at Jonas, waving at the toddler. Grinning, he says "Hi Jonas! How are you today, my young friend?"

[Adam]

Benn waits for Denys to step out of the room before wiping his face with the napkin, all pretense of social grace immediately vanishing. He drops the napkin to his plate and steeples his fingers. "So, perhaps you could inform me of what actually happened to Everline? I've had my own nervous issues since...the incident, and I doubt any of them could have kept her from at least attempting to keep up that veneer of social grace she insists upon."

[ewancummins]

Benn and Charlotte's room-

"Yes, yes I am miss. I am Juergin by de way. nice to make your acquaintance." He bows politely. "I visited the Abbey yesterday and part of the grounds. Might I ask your name?"

As Jergin talks he smiles at Jonas, waving at the toddler. Grinning, he says "Hi Jonas! How are you today, my young friend?"

Jonas hides behind the maid's skirts.

"He's just a bit shy. " The young woman smiles. "I'm Berenice."

Charlotte enters the room, moving swiftly. She snatches up her little son. In a flat tone, she tells the servant- "Berenice, please excuse us."

The maid looks a bit surprised, but silently departs the room, closing the door behind her.

Charlotte turns to Juergin, a grim look on her face. "Benn asked me to keep near Jonas all the time, and now I understand why. I wanted to think that he was worried about nothing more than shadows and bad dreams. This place seemed like a paradise when we first arrived, and I imagined it that way this morning, on the terrace. But it's not."

She steps closer to Juergin.

"You saw the look in Everline's eyes, didn't you? Something is very wrong here. I can't believe I doubted Benn. He knows about these things."

She paces the room with her young son clutched in her arms.

"Jeurgin, I know you are young, but I can see that you have a hero's heart. Please protect my husband. If he goes back to those ruins in search of the evil that dwells there, he'll need all the help he can get."

[steveflam]

Juergin nods grimly to Charlotte. "Yes ma'am. I will do my best. I did see Everline de first this morning. She almost attacked me with her morningstar. I think something bad haunted her dreams, Madam Charlotte. I will try very hard to keep Herr Gehrman safe. Don't forget I am young. There are a lot of competent men with us. I promise to try at any rate."

He salutes her and grins at Jonas. "By for now, little one. Hey, Miss Charlotte. I have a whistle that can alert to danger. Here, take it. You need it more than I do."

HE reaches into a pocket and hands her a signet whistle. "Take care of it for me."

[ewancummins]

Charlotte takes the whistle. She favors Jeurgin with a little smile.

"Thank you."

[steveflam]

Juergin exits the room and heads for the terrace to meet with the others. Once there, he heads for Benn. He doesn't want to be rude to interrupt any conversation Benn may be having. He politely signals a waiter for something to drink and looks around the manor.

[PathOfDreams]

The large forfarian takes a moment to process the tiny man's rapid demeanor. "Of course my diminutive friend, I'll 'ave me eyes peeled." He backs toward the bench again to sit, but hesitates. This little one is full of energy, he'll talk me ears to blister. "Right then, I should shove off to find the others. They no doubt yearn for a morning nip of fine forfarian whiskey, Huha."

With about half his platter of hash left, and having spurred his own interest in a slug of the mossy goodness, he stops by his room briefly to gather a fresh bottle of whiskey. Trooping the halls thereafter, he searches for the others.

When he finally finds them about a table on the terrace, he joins with a hail of morning exhuberance. "Sorry to interupt, but I feel I'm obliged," a warm smile gleams from the face of the gentle giant as he aproaches the table and sets down his unopened bottle and a platter nearly cleared of now luke warm hash. "The courtyards 'ere are brilliant... even got a wee man to tend 'em... keep 'em lookin' sharp for the guests. I must say that our 'ost has thought of it all." His pause is only brief enough to locate an unused mug and release the hinge on the whiskey stopper; he begins to pour. "You could even fall in love with a haggard crone amidst the blooms..."

He stops as he realizes that not only did he rudely interupt the conversing of the group, but that it must have been important. He now notices the stern facades adorned by his comrades. "What... what is it. I know we 'ave a bit of sore to patch up at the abbey, but I wouldn't think that a little ghost would seize your spirits."

He crinkles his brow and sips of his mug waiting for the untold.

[steveflam]

Juergin smiles at Petrie. "Well, Miss Everline had a really bad night. I don't understand it all. Dorgio, Eustace or Herr Gehrman can perhaps explain it better. All I can say is she nearly attacked me with her weapon until she took the time to actually realize it was me. Whatever happened to her last night, I do not wish it on any of you."

[RocEter]

Benn waits for Denys to step out of the room before wiping his face with the napkin, all pretense of social grace immediately vanishing. He drops the napkin to his plate and steeples his fingers. "So, perhaps you could inform me of what actually happened to Everline? I've had my own nervous issues since...the incident, and I doubt any of them could have kept her from at least attempting to keep up that veneer of social grace she insists upon."

"It would seem she was attacked by a spirit in her dreams last night. I am not sure of her exact condition, I will leave that for Dorgio to explain." Thom says taking a sip of his tea.

Everline adjourns to the terrace where breakfast has been served.

"I trust tea and dry toast are available?" she says as she makes her entrance. "I am feeling a mite peckish."

"There is tea and some toast. Have a seat I will pour you a cup." Thom says motioning for Everline to join the rest of the group.

[Adam]

"Interesting," he takes a sip of tea, swirling it around in his mouth thoughtfully for a moment. "It reminds me of something, old stories from folklore. The people would say that a person was carrying a night hag on their back, a spirit that would lay on their chest at night and drink their spirit, eventually killing them." He takes another sip. "In my country there were similar legends about creatures called Alps."

[ewancummins]

The terrace-

Elliana enters the terrace from the interior of the chateau. This morning she wears a light, flowing gown with an open neck, gathered in just under the breast (The latest Dementlieuese fashion). Her long blond hair falls in carefully arranged ringlets over her slim neck and narrow shoulders.

The lady takes a seat near Petrie. She smiles at the big man as she sips her tea.

To no one in particular, she says-

"What a lovely morning."

By common standards, she is right. The blue sky is spotted with fleecy clouds, but there is no hint of rain. Scented breezes carry a hint of orange blossoms, mixed with the tang of the salt sea. Finches and jays flutter between the rail of the terrace and the mulberry bushes and dwarf oaks below. Sometimes one of the little birds hops forward to snag a fallen crumb from around the base of the tables. Further to the east, the dry hills appear as heaps of amber and gold in the morning sun.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline calmly takes a seat that leaves her back neither to the open view, nor the open door, and nods graciously to Thom. "That would be lovely, thank you," she says, bestowing a demure smile on him. "It is wonderful to see such courtesy in a great performer like yourself."

The smile does not change at all, but Everline's eyes are perhaps a degree cooler when they settle on Elliana. "Oh, hello. Sleep well, dear?"

[ewancummins]

Ellina smiles warmly at the other woman.
"I stayed up to read in the bookroom, but don't worry about me- I'm well-rested.''

She takes another sip. ''Hmmm...Did you sleep well? I passed by your room and thought I heard you cry out; but I didn't want to disturb you, so I walked on. Bad dreams, dear?"